One of the country’s youngest elected councillors has resigned from the Labour Party after claiming she was bullied and accused of racism for proposing the installation of CCTV in council-licensed minicabs.
Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, who made history when she won her seat on Peterborough City Council last year at just 18, has announced she will now serve as an independent following what she describes as a deeply distressing experience within her party.
Her resignation follows internal disputes that erupted after she raised concerns about passenger safety in the city’s minicabs—many of which are driven by Asian men—and suggested CCTV as a protective measure for both drivers and passengers.
Blakemore-Creedon said that her comments were wrongly construed as racially motivated by fellow Labour councillors, despite her insistence that her proposals were about safeguarding, not ethnicity.
“I got messages from fellow Labour councillors accusing me of racism,” she said. “But I wasn’t targeting Asian drivers. I was talking about safeguarding for everyone—passengers and drivers.”
The young councillor, whose mother is Jewish, also reported being subjected to anti-Semitic abuse, including accusations from a Labour supporter suggesting she was “on the payroll” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported The Telegraph.
In a statement posted to social media, she said she had “sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group” and was left “deeply disturbed” by the accusations of racism and the party’s failure to address her complaints. A formal complaint she submitted has reportedly been delayed twice, with concerns allegedly raised about the political fallout for the party.
Effective today, I am resigning from the Labour Group on Peterborough City Council.
— Daisy Blakemore (@DaisyBlakemore) May 5, 2025
I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns—concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved.…
Blakemore-Creedon added: “I no longer have the confidence to serve my constituents as a Labour member. My morals have always been Labour. Labour is in my blood. But my entire family has been left disappointed.”
Party leaders expressed regret over her resignation. Dennis Jones, Labour group leader and head of Peterborough City Council, told local media: “We’re disappointed by Daisy’s decision, but the group remains committed to working for the people of Peterborough.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said the matter was being dealt with “in line with the party’s rules and procedures”.
Blakemore-Creedon joined Labour at just 14 and rose quickly through the ranks, winning admiration as a young woman representing working-class values. Speaking previously, she described herself as someone with lived experience of hardship—growing up in a council house and watching her mother use a food bank.
Despite the controversy, she has received support from some local constituents and said she would be willing to trigger a by-election but believes many residents will continue to back her as an independent.
She also spoke candidly about the challenges of being a young woman in politics. “Being young in this space is hard,” she said on X. “People question your ability before you even speak… I’ve had to prove myself again and again.”
Blakemore-Creedon has also previously spoken about living with kidney disease and PTSD following a severe illness in childhood. Despite personal struggles, she remained active in campaigning and local community work, including supporting improvements to public spaces in her constituency.
Her departure leaves Labour facing difficult questions over how it supports young and diverse voices within its ranks, and whether internal disputes are being handled with fairness and transparency.
For now, Daisy Blakemore-Creedon says she remains committed to serving her constituents—just no longer under the Labour banner.
